Or

You call a halt to it and are then forced to lose most if not all of your friends and sometimes family and move away.

I think its sometimes better if you move away to create a space for your friends and family to be able to mentally handle it, its bad to leave a large house and then go back to your life but it is a gap.

In England people play the lottery al the time and yet a lot of people automatically hate winners, they have had their cars egged, scratched, windows smashed, etc.

The class system is so emotional that people hate the rich but play every draw to become rich without connecting the dots that if you win, you have now become the very people you hated and the friends you had that would take about the evil rich will either hate you or turn hypocrite and want some of your money to become rich.

Sometimes getting away from that is the best answer, even if it means your cutting loose some of your friends before they have a chance to cut you lose, live life on your terms, not theirs….that’s what I did

Great job you guys!

I pay for that privilege and because I work am able to pay for a LOT of other privileges for him that he would not otherwise be able to have – such as the two movies I bought him last week which he has been wanting to see and asking about for months. Simple pleasures like that would not be possible if I did not work. He also is able to have his own bedroom and live in a house in a decent neighborhood with a yard, which would not be possible if I did not work.

Annelise and Barb, you really need to check yourselves. Perhaps my husband and I prefer to be able to care for ourselves financially our entire lives, and leave our son a nice inheritance. Perhaps we would like to be able to pay for his college education in cash. Perhaps we would prefer to pay off our mortgage before we retire, so our house can be passed on to our son worry-free when we die. Perhaps we would like to provide our son with the best financially secure life we can.

Guess what? We live in America, and that is our right!

As for claiming a lottery prize anonymously, very very few states allow it to be completely anonymous. Multi state lottery winners are governed by the state law where they live. What few people don’t realize, tho, is that by using a trust to claim it, the lottery is still not being claimed anonymously. A trust is a legal entity by itself, with many of the same financial, legal, and tax obligations as a person, and even has a name and tax id. The lottery is being claimed by a named legal entity, the trust. The person is merely a beneficiary of the trust. It makes a huge difference legally.

Anyone who thinks a pair of 30 year olds with kids can quit working on $1 million is seriously clueless.

“Middle class mentality” seems to be the smarter choice in every way.

–in which you were suggesting that owning your own business is nothing but a losing proposition, and that having a “regular” job is better.

Yes, it sounds like your MIL is stuck in a bad situation with her business. But lots of entrepreneurs thrive on running their own businesses, and if the business is successful it can be a great lifestyle and money-making alternative. The trick is to design the business in ways that really fit your life, and not bury yourself in debt/ investment before you know whether it will work out, or whether you’ll enjoy the work. My husband and I own a small business that we’ve carefully tailored to meet our needs, wherever possible. We make a fairly decent living (though this is a matter of perspective), and we have a pretty laid-back lifestyle. Sure, we often have to do things we don’t’ “want” to do– but show me a regular job that doesn’t require the same (even a job that you love). Our business isn’t as big or “successful” as it could be, because we prioritize our lifestyle/ flexibility over maximizing profits (and/or risk).

That being said, I do think it would be a terrible idea to take lottery winnings and sink it into a business that you have no experience running. Because you have no idea whether it will be “successful” and/or whether you’ll enjoy the work. However, with care and caution, owning a business can definitely be a great option for the right person!

Too often, starting a business can mean you’re stuck doing the things you hate–administrative stuff, hiring, payroll, and managing employees. It is definitely a gamble. One’s focus should be on what makes him or her happy. What’s the point of making money when it is miserable to earn it–thru your business or otherwise.

@ Annalise: I question how much one can respect a different POV when you term babysitters and day care schools as “day orphanages”. If this is how you show respect, we have vastly different definitions of the term. And your vocabulary shows that you have no experience with quality schools for young children.

He gets a lot and has gotten a lot from having more than just us 2 care providers. It takes a village to raise any child, and some people’s villages include paid child-care providers. And that is fine.

I’d say 80% stock is high, but then none of us knows the relevant income. If the couple is making 100 net annually, 80% does sound right. I’d also say that precise models to the percent allocation create the illusion of precision to an imprecise calculation.

Going to work or staying home? Not enough data to opine.. And very personal (ie, if staying home drives both parents crazy, it is not good). Plus a lot can happen in 50 years (aka, a lifetime), why risk quitting, which is an almost irreversible decision? Quitting sounds very risky. Unless the dad is career hopeless – seems extremely unlikely. Plus, dad’s not working isn’t exactly a good idea for kids development.

Starting a business? Bad idea. You can lose a lot of money doing that, especially if all you have is money and no experience (aka a sucker). Before starting a business, best to work in that field and learn off someone else’s dime. Then decide if you want to do it. Plus, if your boss hates his job, it’s a good sign not to go into that business.

Good to hear the good luck story. And the comments.

your story is a good example for everyone. Sounds like you made a series of solid decisions that others can have fun rolling around in their heads to compare to their own personalities. And as was posted, everyone can hit it rich – slowly.

Finally, spending 4% a year, with 4% income, isn’t that a great way to go broke? I know personally that $1 today is a lot less than 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.

Most part time positions that I know of do not come with health insurance, which I assume is a concern given the new baby, and also the mention of a medical emergency. A million dollars is a lot of money, but not THAT much, and it will go even faster if they add on the increase in health care costs that come with being uninsured.